Studia Quaternaria

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Description

Studia Quaternaria. An International Multidisciplinary Journal of
Quaternary Research is an official journal of the Committee for
Quaternary Research of the Polish Academy of Sciences, the national
representative of International Union for Quaternary Research. The
journal has emerged from the journal Quaternary Studies in Poland, which
had been issued irregularly since 1979.

Studia Quaternaria is an interdisciplinary journal, concerning the
Quaternary on local, regional and global scale in all fields of
research. The clue is that the Quaternary is still ongoing and vivid,
and the understanding of its past and present development supports each
other. The journal extends its interest to the whole Europe and its
surroundings. Potential guest editors who are interested in a thematic
volume are kindly requested to contact the Editor-in-Chief.

Studia Quaternaria (ISSN 1641-5558, e-ISSN 2300-0384) is indexed in the
following database:

Abstract

A sediment core, 350 cm long recovered from Młynek Lake, northern of
Poland (Warmia and Masuria Region) was analyzed with respect to their
content of diatoms and chrysophyte cysts. The aim was to reconstruct the
lake water level and climatic changes during the past 2500 years. The
recognized diatom assemblages displayed marked floristic changes along
the sediment core samples. The main change in diatom composition
consists of a shift from an assemblage dominated by benthic Fragilaria
sensu lato species through marked intervals to a planktonic one in
distinct zones. A high proportion of benthic to plankton taxa has been
reported as indicative for a lowering of the lake level with long ice
cover in a cold dry climate and a shift from benthic to planktonic
diatom taxa reflects arising water level with longest growing season and
reduced ice cover on the lake during a warm wet climate. Multivariate
statistical analysis included hierarchical ascending clustering
distinguished four diatom ecological groups. The analyzed core section
was divided into 11 diatom zones according to a distribution of
ecological groups and variation in abundance of dominant species
supported by 14C data. The results displayed a developmental history of
the Młynek Lake that can be divided into 6 main phases of alternating
warm wet and cold dry shifts. A distinct dominance of planktonic
eutrophic indicator diatoms accompanied by a low abundance of
chrysophyte cysts indicates increased lake trophicity and a general
trend for the increasing anthropogenic impact.

Abstract

Lacustrine deposits from Ortel Królewski II (Eastern Poland) represent
the Holsteinian Interglacial (MIS 11c). They are characterized by an
extremely rich occurrence of ostracod and mollusc fauna. Collected
samples represent pre-optimal part of the Holsteinian Interglacial
corresponding to Picea–Alnus, Taxus and Pinus–Larix
zones. Based on ostracod assemblage analysis a depth of the paleolake,
the energy of the environment and the average January and July air
temperature were reconstructed. Ostracods from Ortel Królewski II
indicate a lake with possible periodic overflow sur- rounded by
periodically flooded grasslands, which existed in the study area during
the pre-optimal part of Holsteinian Interglacial.

Abstract

GPR method is perfectly suited for recognizing of sedimentary facies
diversity in shallowly occurring sediments if there is a contrast of
electrical properties between and/or within each layer. The article
deals with the issue of the correlation between GPR surveys results and
sedimentological analyses. As a result of this correlation a conceptual
model of depositional systems of studied areas was developed. Studies
were performed in two areas located in central Poland, where glacial
deposits formed in the Middle Polish (Saalian) Glaciation are present.
The study was based on 49 sediment samples and 21 GPR profiles. Analyses
of lithofacies as well as granulometric and mineralogical composition of
deposits of collected samples were carried out, showing the diversity of
glacial deposits in both study sites. During GPR measurements shielded
antenna with a frequency of 500 MHz was used which allowed
high-resolution mapping of the internal structure of deposits and to
identify four characteristic radar facies. Correlation of GPR profiles
with point, one-dimensional sedimentological studies allowed the
unambiguous interpretation of the GPR image and draw conclusions about
the formation environment of individual units. Geophysical and
sedimentological data obtained during study provide a new and detailed
insight into selected glacial deposits in central Poland.

Abstract

The main scientific goal of this work is the presentation of the role of
selected geophysical methods (Ground-Penetrating Radar GPR and
Electrical Resistivity Tomography ERT) to identify water escape zones
from retention reservoirs. The paper proposes a methodology of
geophysical investigations for the identification of water escape zones
from a retention fresh water lake (low mineralised water). The study was
performed in a lake reservoir in Upper Silesia. Since a number of years
the administrators of the lake have observed a decreasing water level, a
phenomenon that is not related to the exploitation of the object. The
analysed retention lake has a maximal depth between 6 and 10 m,
depending on the season. It is located on Triassic carbonate rocks of
the Muschelkalk facies. Geophysical surveys included measurements on the
water surface using ground penetration radar (GPR) and electrical
resistivity tomography (ERT) methods. The measurements were performed
from watercrafts made of non-metal materials. The prospection reached a
depth of about 1 to 5 m below the reservoir bottom. Due to large
difficulties of conducting investigations in the lake, a fragment with
an area of about 5,300 m 2, where service activities and sealing works
were already commenced, was selected for the geophysical survey. The
scope of this work was: (1) field geophysical research
(Ground-Penetrating Radar GPR and Electrical Resistivity Tomography ERT
with geodesic service), (2) processing of the obtained geophysical
research results, (3) modelling of GPR and ERT anomalies on a fractured
water reservoir bottom, and (4) interpretation of the obtained results
based on the modelled geophysical anomalies. The geophysical surveys
allowed for distinguishing a zone with anomalous physical parameters in
the area of the analysed part of the retention lake. ERT surveys have
shown that the water escape zone from the reservoir was characterised by
significantly decreased electrical resistivities. Diffraction hyperboles
and a zone of wave attenuation were observed on the GPR images in the
lake bottom within the water escape zone indicating cracks in the bottom
of the water reservoir. The proposed methodology of geophysical surveys
seems effective in solving untypical issues such as measurements on the
water surface.

Contact

Instructions for authors

The language of the journal is English. Submissions may be in the form
of articles, brief reports, discussions, or paper/book reviews. Studia
Quaternaria accepts papers of moderate length. Longer manuscripts should
be agreed with the Editor-in-Chief.

All submitted manuscripts are reviewed initially by editorial staff.
Manuscripts with insufficient priority for publication are rejected
promptly. Other manuscripts are sent to at least two independent expert
consultants for peer review. Manuscripts are evaluated on the
originality of data, interpretations, and ideas, and on the degree to
which their findings can be generalized. In case of contradictory
opinions additional reviewers are sought. Articles accepted for
publication are instantly published inthe "in press" section. In printed
version they usually appear in order of acceptance.